Six-Run Sixth Hands Arkansas Second-Straight Victory Over Baseball

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Despite five shutout innings from Javyn Pimental, University of Missouri baseball dropped its second-straight contest to No. 1 Arkansas after the Razorbacks scored six times in the sixth inning en route to a 6-0 Southeastern Conference victory at Baum-Walker Stadium.

Arkansas (16-2, 2-0 SEC) rode a combined one-hit effort from the duo of Brady Tygart and Will McEntire (2-0) to their second shutout victory over the Tigers (9-10, 0-2 SEC) to open the series. Tygart yielded the lone Mizzou hit — a leadoff single by Trevor Austin in the fourth — and struck out seven over 4.2 innings. McEntire was equally as dominant, permitting just one baserunner via a walk over 4.1 hitless frames.

At the plate, three consecutive Arkansas homers from the top three hitters in its batting order to open the sixth sparked the Razorbacks to life in a previously scoreless game.

The six-run outburst spoiled a strong afternoon by Pimental, who stymied the Razorbacks for five innings, including four hitless frames to open the afternoon. The junior left-hander worked out of a first-inning jam with a pair of strikeouts, then retired nine consecutive UA hitters before finally surrendering his first hit of the day with two out in the fifth.

Pimental finished his day allowing just one hit, one walk and two hit batsmen while striking out four Razorbacks.

But Arkansas flipped the switch on its offense to open the sixth, as solo shots by Peyton Stovall and Wehiwa Aloy on back-to-back pitches from Mizzou’s Bryce Mayer (0-4) led to the game’s pivotal rally. Moments later, Kendall Diggs went deep to left for the third straight Razorbacks home run and a 3-0 UA lead. Three walks and a hit batsman fueled the home club’s attack and ultimately doubled the advantage to six runs following a two-run Ross Lovich triple and a wild pitch that scored the runner from third.

Mizzou’s Ryan Magdic slowed the UA offense with two perfect innings of relief, over which he struck out three Razorbacks.

But Mizzou’s offense never found its footing against McEntire, who retired the first six hitters he faced and 13 of 14 overall, ending the game by dispatching seven-straight Mizzou batters.

TIGER NOTEBOOK

• With the setback, Mizzou falls to 33-35-1 all-time vs. Arkansas.
• Mizzou’s one hit marked its lowest single-game total of the season.
• Jackson Lovich saw his 13-game hit streak come to an end with his 0-for-4 day at the plate.
• Pimental matched a career high with his 5.0 innings — his second-straight outing of five innings. He also lowered his season ERA to 2.04.
• Coupled with Friday’s series-opening 8-0 setback, the Tigers have been shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since March 29-30, 2013 vs. LSU.

UP NEXT
The Tigers and Razorbacks conclude their series with another 2 p.m. (CDT) contest Sunday at Baum-Walker Stadium.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram and Facebook.